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Diamond’s entire music catalog is about to come under the same label for the first time in more than four decades.
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Singer Neil Diamond / Getty
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According to rumors reverberating around the music industry pop legend Neil Diamond is on the verge of making his first label change in 41 years.
If all goes according to plan Diamond will be leaving Columbia Records for whom he first signed in 1973 and will be renewing his acquaintance with Steve Barnett, CEO of the Capitol Music Group and his boss Lucian Grainge, CEO of the Universal Music Group.
Neil Diamond and Steve Barnett have a relationship that goes back many years, when Barnett was with the Columbia records label.
The record deal , which is due to become official within the next day or so, will involve Universal Music Group acquiring all of Neil Diamond’s all-inclusive Catalogue of recordings from the three labels he has worked with during his recording career spanning back to the mid-sixties. Neil and his wife Katie who also happens to be his manager are handling the final stages of the negotiations.
Neil originally recorded on the Bang Records label at the start of his career remaining there for just two years, from 1966 to 1968. During these years, Neil enjoyed considerable chart success with hits like Cherry, Cherry and Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon.
In 1968, Neil signed up for UNI Records, which soon evolved into the MCA record label, enjoying a major purple patch in his career, both in terms of commercial and critical success, releasing some of his classic songs including Cracklin’ Rosie, Holly Holy, I Am…I Said and Sweet Caroline.
In 1973, the Columbia record label appeared on the scene, succeeding in luring Diamond to join them, offering an exceptionally lucrative contract, one of the most generous of that time.
Neil has remained at Columbia ever since, and enjoying regular single chart success up till the early nineteen eighties, when his mainstream commercial success began to taper off, as his style changed and developed.
During his forty plus years at the top in the music industry, Neil Diamond ’s following has never diminished and he has succeeded in selling close to 50 million albums in the U.S alone., according to the RIAA, making him the ninth-largest selling male solo artist in history, and holder of the distinction of having at least one top 10 album in every decade since the nineteen seventies.
As far as single success is concerned, Neil has released 53 records that made it to the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, 13 of which reaching the top ten, including three which made it to the hallowed top spot.
In recognition of his contribution to the music industry, Neil Diamond has been the recipient of a number of awards. As well as being a Grammy Award winner, Neil is a member of both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame, a holder of the Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime of contributions to American culture, a recipient of the prestigious Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters, as well as a Billboard Legend of Live honor.
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